


Anything For You, Love

by MilfShakes



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Happy Birthday Emil!, Other, luv ya dude, thanks for encouraging me to be my best self, this fic...did not end up where i expected it to
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-04-22 23:55:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19139425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MilfShakes/pseuds/MilfShakes
Summary: After being forced to leave Hallownest by the Nightmare King, Grimm makes one last ditch attempt to escape from his Master's control. Nothing could prepare him for what happens next***This fic treats Grimm, The Nightmare King, The Shade Lord, and Ghost as four separate characters, Grimm and the Nightmare King are still both named Grimm though.





	1. A Tearful Hello

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Borlaaq](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Borlaaq/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I feel like when you finish this chapter you'll be like "Well there's no way it could possibly get weirder than this." And the rest of the fic is just me going "Hold My Beer."

Sometimes, Grimm’s performances just left him tired.

Especially now that the Nightmare King forced the Troupe to move on, the bitter reality that Grimm was more or less alone with his captor drained him of any lingering energy. The other Troupe members- nothing more than puppets for their dark master, offered little comfort in the dark, cold, expanse between civilizations.

The Troupe stumbled upon little pockets of life in the wastes, these settlements of lost weary bugs always provided the perfect opportunity to recruit new Troupe members. Curious bugs would linger after Grimm’s tantalizing performance, he offered them a mask, a promise of freedom and adventure, then watched the light fade from their eyes as the Nightmare King drained away their free will.

He always hated this part of the ritual, but what choice did he have?

 

Grimm shivered a little in his seat, looking out the window of his ornate carriage at the desolate wasteland outside. He wasn’t cold exactly… but the memory of how suddenly he left Hallownest still left a dull ache in his chest.

He raised a hand to touch the rose that filled his empty right eye socket, his enchantment kept the petals from ever wilting. He remembered the day he snatched it from Ghost’s garden, and they simply let him of course, the short vessel never turned down the opportunity to spoil him. He tried so hard not to think of them now, all the happy memories of his care taker were stained with black blood.

 

He couldn’t erase the memory, no matter how hard he tried, the sight of Ghost's body, broken, mangled, lifeless, and the sheer helplessness that caught his throat as he watched the Void consume them still burned so fresh in his mind.

 

After Ghost’s death, the Hollow Knight was all he had.

The two were friends at first, but the comfort Grimm found in the vessel’s cold embrace turned their relationship into something else.

Hollow was so different from the other void creatures, they knew how to have fun, how to _live_ , a great accomplishment for a drop of void bound to a living shell.

_No, Hollow is so much more than that._

Grimm leaned back in his seat, taking in a sharp breath and wringing his hands in his cape. He thought on the time they spent together with each passing day, his longing only amplified by the cold howling wind that now rocked his carriage back and forth.

They spent so much time apart, it must have been years now. Did Hollow miss him? Did they look for him?

Grimm clenched his teeth at the thoughts, he didn’t want to leave, he had hoped the Nightmare King would stay distracted by the Radiance’s absence for a little bit longer, but as soon as he caught wind of their budding relationship he forced the Troupe to pack up and leave Hallownest immediately.

He didn’t even allow Grimm the time to say goodbye.

 

_Why am I dwelling on this, I cannot change anything._

Grimm lay down in his plush seat, resting his head on one of his scarlet cushions.

_Hollow probably moved on to bigger and better things by now._

He allowed his eye to slide closed, shivering against the ache in his chest.

After hours of tossing and turning the Troupe Master finally drifted off to sleep.

 

\-----

 

The Grimmsteeds came to an abrupt stop, shaking the carriage and rousing Grimm from his nap.

He tried to rub the grogginess out of his eye as he sat up, his vision came into focus and he could see the faint lights of a new town through his dusty window.

The Troupe followed the winding road down into a cavern below the freezing surface of the wastes. The cave walls protected the sleepy little town from the mind numbing effects of the winds above, the buildings were hewn from the gray cavern walls and a spring of fresh water bubbled at the town center. The weary residents looked up to the Troupe’s scarlet carriages with suspicious curiosity.

_[Make yourself useful.]_

Grimm jerked up in his seat, the Nightmare King’s voice interrupted his thoughts. He stood up abruptly, animated like a marionette as his Master took control of his body.

Grimm could never get used to being run on autopilot like this, his already compromised vision turned scarlet and hazy. He could see himself moving but his mind and body felt numb while the Nightmare King controlled him.

Grimm watched himself explore the town, taking time to dazzle the inhabitants with a bit of fire magic before handing out tickets to tonight’s show.

It was always the same routine, show up, unpack, advertise, perform. An endless, mind numbing cycle.

He would give anything to stop.

Words could never describe how invaded and violated Grimm felt while the Nightmare King took direct control. He didn’t do it as frequently now, the God was oft distracted by the Radiance’s now owner less dream realm as he never turned down an opportunity to take more power for himself. But even while wrangling two realms he still managed to find the time to remind his vessel that he was nothing more than a tool.

 

When the Nightmare King finally loosened his grip the Troupe’s tents were already set up and a line started to form at the entrance. The bugs muttered excitedly as they waited, they couldn't remember the last time something interesting happened in their dull lives.

Being controlled always left Grimm feeling shaken, his hands fell to his knees, chest heaving with labored breaths.

_I don’t want to do this anymore._

Grimm squeezed his one good eye shut, he knew he didn’t have a choice, he couldn’t die until the Nightmare King _let_ him die.

But maybe...he didn’t have to die?

Grimm’s eye popped open and he had a moment of clarity. There were other ways to stop existing other than dying, he immediately thought of the wastes, and how careful the Nightmare King was to never allow his vessel outside while they traveled between settlements.

They say the winds of the wastes can drain a bug’s mind.

Grimm felt determined to try it, besides, what’s the worst that could happen? Either he would finally be free from this endless dance or the Nightmare King would find him again. And sure, he’d be punished but the Scarlet Spectre _needed_ Grimm, he wouldn’t do any permanent damage to the vessel he relied upon.

Filled with renewed determination Grimm stood up straight, turned around, and bolted off towards the cavern’s exit without giving the Troupe a second glance.

 

\-----

 

The force of the frigid wind nearly knocked Grimm off of his feet.

But his desire for freedom provided him with the strength to push onward, in fact, he even found the strength to _run._

Cape billowing behind him, his quick steps kicked up sprays of ashen dust that the wind greedily devoured. He could feel his head getting clearer as he pressed on, for the first time in thousands of years he was truly genuinely free. Giddy with excitement he took a moment to really appreciate the scenery around him. The wind sent sprays of dust crashing against smooth boulders and the shells of ancient long-dead bugs. Grimm couldn’t see terribly far in any direction, it didn’t matter, he just kept running in a straight line to put as much distance between himself and the Troupe as he could.

 

After a few hours of running it finally hit him.

The freezing wind numbed his hands and feet, prickling cold worked its way up his body until it started to drain his mind.

Grimm slowed his pace, legs shaking, he laughed to himself and took a seat next to a colossal spiral shell.

Maybe the Troupe would find him later, maybe they wouldn’t. It didn’t matter anymore.

He leaned his head back on the cold empty shell, taking a deep breath and allowing his lungs to fill with the cold dusty air. His one good eye slid shut, and his face smoothed into a mask of total serenity.

Grimm tasted freedom on this day, and that was enough for him.

 

\-----

 

The emptiness, comforting, cold and quiet, gently tore Grimm to pieces.

The moments he spent lying in the wastes could perhaps be compared to the state of the Pure Vessel.

No mind to think, no will to break, no voice to cry out.

Just the cold, comforting promise of nothingness-

And it was all torn away too soon.

 

\-----

 

An unfamiliar noise interrupted Grimm’s death-like slumber, he snarled in protest as his eye opened. The disturbance came from above, a rhythmic whooshing sound that disrupted the steady pace of the winds.

Irritated, Grimm’s head snapped upwards, his eye immediately widened with shock at the sight of an enormous shadow that appeared to be getting larger as the seconds went by-

The clouds of dust and ash in the air cleared and a black, wyvern-like creature landed on the soft ground before Grimm. The dust and wind grew still and silent at the creature’s presence, held back by a few dozen meters producing a bubble of quiet around them.

Grimm didn’t even bother looking at the creature, once his eyes fell to its rider nothing else mattered.

A familiar bug sat on a saddle between the winged creature’s shoulder blades, their dark eyes darted around the clearing for a few moments before their gaze settled on Grimm-  
Immediately the Hollow Knight jumped from their seat, and oh were they a sight to behold. Their silvery cape flowing behind them and a new set of armor shining silver even in the dim light of the wastes.

Hollow lifted their only hand to slowly make signs.

(Hello love.)

The affirmation that they still loved him made Grimm’s chest swell with a fresh wave of emotion, his tired heart fluttered to life, sending warmth pulsating from his core to his fingertips.

_They missed me._

_They searched for me._

_They came all this way for me._

The sight of Hollow running towards him would have given Grimm the strength to stand if he were not half buried in sand already, all he could do was raise two shaky arms in his lover’s direction, begging to be held with cartoonish pink tears running down his cheeks.

Hollow fell to their knees and embraced him, smooshing their face to his as they pulled him out of the sand and into their arms.

Grimm tried to talk, he really did, but all he could manage was incoherent sobs between kisses as he caressed his lover’s face.

The Hollow Knight stood to their full height and bridal carried Grimm to their mount, they gingerly sat him down on the saddle and took a seat behind him.

“How did-how did you find me?” Grimm finally managed to speak, trying to wipe away his steady stream of tears.

(My friend.) They gestured to the creature beneath them.

“Your master’s scent is strong, it was easy to follow.” The creature’s voice rumbled below them, low and guttural.

Grimm blinked in surprise, he hadn’t bothered to really look at the creature until now.

“It...speaks?” Grimm asked in surprise.

“Its name is _Shade,_ and it uses they/them thank you very much. _”_ The creature turned their great horned head to look at the smaller bugs on their back.

Grimm knew they looked familiar, even in this shape-shifted form he recognized them.

Eight glowing eyes, wicked curved horns, a body as dark as the endless expanse of the Void sea…

Grimm felt Hollow jerk on the Void Entity’s reigns and they spread their black, bat like wings in response. In one powerful wing beat the creature launched itself into the blank sky.

“I remember you-” His voice was clipped, agitated, a cold well of bitterness pooled in chis chest.

_“You took Ghost away from me.”_

Hollow squeezed Grimm’s shoulder with their hand, keeping hold of the reins with a simple prosthetic that replaced their other arm.

“I am sorry.” The creature muttered, their voice sincere.

“Why are you doing this anyway?” Grimm hissed.

“A debt was owed, the Hollow Knight only asked for your safety- the details matter not. It would suffice to say that I wanted to help.”

Grimm fell silent, leaning back into Hollow’s embrace. They traced words into Grimm’s chest plate with nimble fingers.

“Shade has changed, so much.”

Grimm averted his gaze from the Void Entity, taking in a sharp breath. Shade’s presence didn’t spoil the bliss he felt being in Hollows arms again but-

_“I do not forgive you.”_

He couldn’t, how could he?

“I understand.”

The calmness in their voice caught Grimm off guard. The Shade Lord’s words carried with them a sort of...acceptance, as if they had already made peace with everything that was to come after this.

Grimm didn’t dwell on them for too long, rather he chose to lose himself in Hollow’s comforting embrace.

At least for now, under the protection of the wastes, the Nightmare King could not reach him.

 

\-------

 

The Shade Lord’s power produced a force-field like bubble around them, keeping the wind and fog at bay.

The rhythmic swell of Shade’s wings lulled Grimm to sleep. He woke up against his lover’s chest, looking up to admire the smooth contours of their face.

Hollow met his gaze, the leaned down to place a “kiss” to Grimm’s mouth.

In spite of his lover’s comforting embrace, cold anxiety clawed at Grimm’s mind, they may be far from the Troupe, sure, but the Nightmare King lived within him, Grimm could never truly run away.

Could he?

“Shade?”

“Yes small one?” The beast rumbled.

“How _exactly_ do you intend to help me?”

The God said nothing.

Grimm squeezed Hollow’s hand, but they snatched it away to trace more words into Grimm’s shell.

“I asked too, no answer.”

Grimm narrowed his cat like eye, and shifted forward in his seat so he was closer to Shade’s head.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t thought of a plan???” He hissed.

“Do not take that tone with me, small one.” The winged creature let out a snort. “It matters not, you will get what you seek in the end.”

(Tell now.) Hollow commanded, both in sign and voidspeak.

The God’s body rocked upwards with another powerful wing beat, they picked up the pace, accelerating through the gray sky.

(Shade.)

Silence.

(Shade.)

More silence.

(Shade.)

The god let out an irritated growl.

_(Shade.)_

They bucked their abdomen upwards, nearly throwing the two bugs off.

(Sh-)

 _“Enough.”_ The Shade lord hissed, giving Hollow a burning glare from over their shoulder.

“I simply plan to isolate the Nightmare King and speak to him, God to God. All that matters is in the end you two will go home together, that is what you wanted, right?”

(You will come too?)

“We’re here.”

The foggy sky suddenly fell away from them, giving way to a warm clear blue, Grimm could just barely make out the edge of Hallownest below them. Normally he would have been ecstatic but he could already feel the Nightmare King’s influence creeping back over him the second the three broke away from the fog.

The Void entity landed with a loud thud, wings and claws sinking into the sandy ground, sending clouds of dust up in the air around them, they abruptly slid the two bugs off of their back then lowered their head to face Grimm.

“Relax, this will only take a moment.”

Before Grimm could react, the Shade Lord pressed their forehead firmly against his. Their bright silver eyes glowed with burning intensity, and the scene around Grimm distorted and warped into the eerie red and blackness of the Nightmare Realm . He only caught a short glimpse of them- the Gods of Shadow and Fire stood facing each other in a comfortable looking sitting room. The Nightmare King took his eyes off of the Shade Lord for a moment to flash a crooked grin at Grimm. His master’s gaze clouded Grimm’s mind, making his legs shake and tremble beneath him. Grimm fell to his knees, then to the floor, and slowly slipped out of consciousness.

 

\-----

 

“Well well, if it isn’t the God of Gods.” Cooed the Nightmare King, reaching up to playfully pinch the Shade Lord’s chin. “To what do I owe the honor of this unexpected visit?”

The Shade Lord jerked away from his touch, and took a step back, their body blurring into smears of shadow as they shape shifted back to their bipedal form.

 _“You know why.”_ They hissed.

The Nightmare King’s twisted grin only stretched wider, he raised one hand to his mouth as if trying to suppress a laugh.

“Hee hee, to bargain for my vessel’s freedom? As a favor to some lesser god? I must say, I’m quite curious to know _why._ You never were the generous type.”

“Hollow...helped us-no helped _me._ ” The void entity folded their hands behind their back. “They taught me how to be with a heart, how to feel, how to _live.”_

The Shade Lord bowed their head, glowing eyes cast down to the floor.

“They were always there for me, like family, I owe a great debt.”

The Nightmare King’s burning eyes narrowed into slits, he tilted his head to one side, looking the Lord Shade over with ravenous curiosity.

“Ah, well, I know you have much to offer me in exchange, but as much as I’d love to have all your knowledge of the ancient world I cannot simply break the ritual. I need Grimm to _survive_ , I thought you knew this. It is not possible to-”

“I will take his place.”

 

The Nightmare King’s macabre facade broke, his scarlet eyes widened and his fanged mouth fell slack. Shade couldn’t help but laugh at how dumbfounded he looked.

 _“I-excuse me???”_ He squeaked.

“You heard me. If you need a vessel then feel free to use me in Grimm’s place. I will never weaken or age, and my body will never fail you as his did. With my help you wouldn’t even have to search for fallen Kingdoms anymore, I could destroy them for you.”

Whiplashed, the Nightmare King fell silent for a moment, his intense scarlet glow cooled as he lost himself deep in thought. He furrowed his brow, scratching one of his long horns as he pondered their words.

“You would...offer yourself?” He muttered

“Yes.”

“You, the Lord of Shades, the _God of Gods_ , are offering to serve _me?”_

“Yes.”

“I wouldn’t even need the Troupe to protect me anymore. Is there a downside to this?” His voice cracked, his red eyes darted back and forth as if searching for an answer.

“Going _once.”_ The Shade Lord held up a finger to the shorter God.

“There has to be a catch…” He drummed his bony fingers to his lower lip.

“Going _twice.”_

“Okay-okay just for clarity-” The Nightmare King straightened himself out, standing to his full height.“I set Grimm free, and you are going to take his place and carry out my ritual, _for the rest of eternity. ”_

The Shade Lord nodded and stuck out one of their larger hands to him, and the Nightmare King wasted no time to snatch it up in his bony grasp. A wild, twisted smile played across his fanged mouth.

 

The ethereal room filled with the Nightmare King’s wicked laughter, and one by one the walls caught fire. The Shade Lord didn’t so much as flinch as the scarlet tongues of flame consumed their body, they just kept a firm grip on the other God’s hand.

 

“We have a deal.”


	2. Our Home/ Our New Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hollow Knight takes Grimm home with them, meanwhile the Shade Lord adjusts to life as the Nightmare King's vessel.

Hollow cradled their unconscious lover in their arms, and when they looked up to Shade, they were only able to catch a brief glimpse.

The Shade Lord stood up straight, with their back to Hollow, a flowing black cape draped over their shoulders.

 

And after a split second, in a cloud of red smoke, they vanished.

 

Confused, Hollow searched the clearing for signs of Shade. They couldn’t have gone far right??? The two planned so many activities for when Grimm finally came home…

 

Grimm squirmed in their arms, interrupting their thoughts.

“Hollow?”

They looked down to their lover, his only good eye was now as black and empty as theirs.

“He’s gone.”

(What?)

“The Nightmare King...he’s just gone…”

(And Shade?)

Grimm put his hands to his mouth, he didn’t hear or see what transpired between the two Gods but-there was only one logical explanation. He turned his black gaze up to Hollow, he couldn’t say it, he couldn’t bear to. Guilt gripped his throat, making little clear tears well up in his eye.

_I should have thanked them, I should have been kinder, I should have-_

All Grimm could manage was to bury his head into Hollow’s shoulder.

Hollow’s light touch traced words into Grimm’s back once more.

“It’s okay. Everything is okay.”

In one fluid motion Hollow scooped Grimm up into their arms, cradling him against their shoulder.

“Let’s go home.”

 

\-----

 

Shade and Hollow’s shared dwelling sat on the outskirts of Dirtmouth, closer to the glittering slopes of the crystal peak. It was among the largest buildings around, of course it had to be, both of its residents stood at such an imposing height. The exterior was decorated by strings of glowing lumafly lights, a lush garden of fairy tale proportions took up the entire yard.

The warm smell of incense wafted over the two bugs as they came in through the doorway. Grimm remained silent, and for now Hollow felt perfectly fine with just letting him be. The poor bug went through enough for one day.

The fact that the house was decorated with pictures of both Hollow and Shade spending quality time together only made Grimm feel worse.

Hollow carried him down the main hallway to a doorway on the left.

“Our room.” They traced into his back.

An incredibly large bed covered with silk pillows and a fluffy comforter sat against the wall near near an open window, the fragrant scent of the garden outside wafted in with the wind. A little work bench was at the opposite end of the room, Hollow's pure nail as well as other assorted weapons sat upon it.

Hollow gently laid their lover down in bed, drawing the covers over him. They unclasped their armor and their prosthetic arm and set them down on the floor before crawling under the sheets next to him. 

“Hollow, I’m sorry-”

The taller bug placed a finger to Grimm’s fangs before he could finish.

(Rest now.)

Grimm just leaned into Hollow’s shoulder as they embraced him with their arm, drawing him close to their chest into a comfortable position under the covers. He could tell them what happened to Shade later, but for now they were right.

It was time to rest.

 

Part of Grimm expected to wake up back in his carriage, thousands of miles away from Hallownest in the cold desolate wasteland. But when his eye slid open he could see the pale morning light filtering through the window, illuminating the black shell of his lover’s shoulder. Grimm almost felt whiplashed, he wasn’t used to being this relaxed, and the cool comforting touch of Hollow’s shell only made it better.

Grimm let out a hoarse, sleepy chuckle and leaned forward to press a kiss against his lover’s snout. He dropped a line of kisses down their neck and shoulder as they started to stir awake.

“Good morning Ambrosia.” Grimm cooed.

The void in Hollow’s shell rushed to their cheeks, staining their face a deep lavender, oh how they loved the name he gave them. They nuzzled his face where their mouth would be. Squeezing him closer with their only arm, the Knight closed any distance between them and slowly, playfully, started to grind their abdomen against his.

“Oh? Are you in the mood?” Grimm asked hopefully, his pulse starting to quicken.

Hungry fingers traced words into his back.

_“Are you???”_

Grimm couldn’t help but laugh.

 _“HA!_ Are you kidding me? You’re all I’ve been thinking about for the past few years, I-”

His voice caught in this throat for a moment, he rested his head under Hollow’s chin and started to roll his hips against them.

_“I missed you so much”_

The void in Hollow’s chest rumbled, a possessive growl. They swiftly pushed Grimm onto his back, parting his legs by pushing their abdomen between them.

“Oh??? Looks like you missed me too.” He flashed a crooked grin up to his lover.

Hollow paused for a moment, they didn’t sign or trace any words, rather they leaned forward, resting on their elbow and pressed their forehead against Grimm’s.

The smaller bug closed his eye, drinking in their scent and the sensation of their cold, smooth shell. The next thing he felt was Hollow’s cool palm press against his cheek, they cupped his face in their only hand, caressing him ever so gently with their fearsome looking claws.

Hollow kissed him as best they could, and Grimm kissed them back, hungrily, desperately, trying to make up for all that lost time.

He could feel their body temperature drop as they rut against him, Grimm’s own shell became just as hot as the last time they were together, it seemed that even without the Nightmare’s Heart at his core Grimm could still burn for his lover.

He had almost forgotten how _good_ Hollow could make him feel.

Grimm wrapped his legs around their waist, squeezing tight with his thighs and scratching little lines into their back with his claws.

His breath came in erratic gasps as Hollow made love to him, the sensation of their feather light kisses served as such a beautiful contrast to the force of their thrusting hips. Grimm’s claws moved to their horns, marveling at the smooth texture of their shell as he held their face close so he could kiss them.

The two wanted to simply enjoy the moment, and they _did_ enjoy it. There was no lack of playfulness in their sex, for sure. They rolled each other over, laughing, falling into each other, pinching sides with sharp claws. But there was something somber in the way they explored each other’s bodies, as if they were afraid their lover would disappear in a puff of smoke.

It had been too long.

It didn’t seem real, both Grimm and Hollow spent so much time thinking they’d lost each other, the hurt from the separation still left a fresh ache in their chests.

 

They blinked at each other when they both finished, breathing hard, surprised that it hadn’t just been a dream.

Grimm peppered kisses to Hollow’s flushed cheeks, his eyelid getting heavy. His lover leaned back into their soft white pillows, so that Grimm could lay against their cold chest. He snuggled right into them, worming his arms around their sides and smooshing his cheek against their collarbone.

Grimm didn’t want to ruin the bliss of this moment, but-he knew no matter how long he waited it would never feel like the right time to tell Hollow the truth about Shade. He took in a sharp breath, and planted a another kiss to his lover’s chest.

“Ambrosia?”

He felt fingers drumming on his back.

“...Shade took my place-as his vessel. I didn’t tell you before because I know how much you care for them and-”

 _“I know.”_ Their fingers traced sternly.

“I’m sorry.”

_“I know.”_

“Should we...try to find them???”

_“No options.”_

Grimm sighed burying his face deeper into their neck.

 

“I just hope Shade is okay.”

 

\---

 

The Nightmare King awoke in the Nightmare Realm, a renewed energy coursing through his veins.

He’d never been bound to a being so mighty, his whole life was just a string of precarious life-or-death situations, until now.

 

The scene around him was fairly simple, the ethereal mist of the nightmare realm obscured the borders of an ornate room furnished with a few couches and a large bed, where his new vessel now slept.

The Nightmare King came to their bedside, a twisted grin playing across his fanged lips.

He wondered idly, what he should order them to do first.

Giddy at the thought, he placed a hand on the Shade Lord's shoulder and shook them awake. The cold touch of their shell sent a foreign yet stimulating prickle of pleasure up his arm.

“Wake up.”

The Shade Lord snorted at him a little.

“I said _wake up._ ”

Their eight glowing eyes slowly slid open, irritated and tired. The dark creature sat up in bed and rubbed the sleepiness out of their eyes with one of their larger hands. They studied the room around them, then their gaze fell to the Nightmare King.

“Well, this isn’t as bad as I thought it would be.” They chuckled, sliding off the bed and onto their feet.

“So, what now?” The Shade Lord turned to their scarlet counterpart with eyes narrowed.

 _“Well…”_ The Nightmare King circled Shade, like a predator stalking its prey. “Now we do whatever I say…”

He reached over to stroke their cheek with a feather light touch.

“Kneel to me, Lord of Shades.”

 

The Shade Lord only blinked at him, crossing their upper set of arms and placing the lower set on their hips.

“And why would I do that?”

The Nightmare King narrowed his eyes, his heart beating so loudly that both Gods could hear it.

“I...ordered you to…”

A cold wave of realization crashed over him, his scarlet glow faded, eyes darting around the room in a panic.

“You...made the pact with me- I should have control-I should be able to command you-I should…”

He took a few measured steps away from the Shade Lord, shrinking in fear.

In spite of the pact, in spite of his ritual, nothing could change his lesser rank among the Gods.

For the first time in millennia the Nightmare King was completely and utterly defenseless. He desperately tried to make this realm bend to his will but nothing happened. He truly, genuinely, had no control.

With each step he took back, the Shade Lord took another step forward.

 _“What are you going to do to me?”_ He hissed, shrinking further away from the shadowy God.

The Shade Lord only shot him a confused look.

“What do you mean?”

“You haven’t noticed?-” The Nightmare King spit out the words. “I can’t-I can’t _do_ anything.”

His scarlet gaze dropped to the floor.

“It seems that I am your prisoner, how ironic…”  

“Oh for Gods sake _Relax.”_

The cold sensation of Shade placing their hands on his shoulders startled him. His eyes snapped up to meet theirs.

“Listen-” The Shade Lord began. “I am a God of my word. I agreed to protect you as long as you need. So I will.”

They flashed him a toothy grin.

Shade released his shoulders, hands hesitating awkwardly in the air for the moment as they tried to think of a way to comfort him. They ended up taking one of his slender hands in theirs, giving it a protective squeeze.

“I will treat you as an honored guest in my body and mind. You don't have anything to worry about, I'm going to take care of you.”

 

The Nightmare King searched Shade’s face with widened eyes, his erratic heartbeat started to level out. He wanted to say something, he didn’t know what. All his life he’d been running from danger, from death, from his enemies, he’d come to expect cruelty and betrayal from anyone that crossed his path

Shade sensed his fear, their minds were one and the same now after all. They rubbed little circles into the back of his hand with their thumb to comfort him.

 

_“Just try to relax.”_

 

Both gods opened their eyes, blinking in the dim light of the cave, the very same where Hallownest’s Ritual started so many years ago.

The creature that stood before the Grimm Troupe’s lantern looked rather odd, to say the least. Both Gods bore the burden of shape shifting, making it much easier to stay shrunken down to a reasonable size.

Still, it stood at a rather imposing height. Its upper body mostly resembled the Shade Lord, except it had fewer eyes and thinner shoulders.

Shade made the creature blink its three scarlet eyes, they weren’t used to having so few, let alone having an eye smack in the middle of their forehead.

[ This is, surprisingly pleasant for me ] The Nightmare King’s voice rang clear in their head.

[ Hehe, I knew you’d be nice and cold. You are enjoying it too, yes? ]

_"Yes-but, I feel… Like I have four legs."_

[ Do we? ]

While the two Gods chatted telepathically, their shared body did not make a sound.

Shade looked downward and behind them, examining their new form- and they found that they in fact did have four legs. Their shared body almost resembled a centaur, they even had a _tail._

Comically, they wore a cloak over their shoulders that their lower half stretched and ripped apart.

[ What do we look like? My vision is still adjusting to yours. ]

_"Like two guys in a steed costume."_

The Nightmare king burst into loud wheezing laughter, but in all seriousness, Shade's comparison was actually quite fitting.

With his previous vessel, the Nightmare King always felt like he was looking down on Grimm, like he had his vessel strung up like a marionette.

But now Shade’s presence stood right next to him, as if the two existed side by side in their shared body. All manners of thoughts, feelings, and even memories passed between them, and in those first few seconds of existing together it was like they’d known each other all their lives.

It was... surprisingly comforting.

The creature took a few shaky steps forward, almost tripping over its own feet. It slowly made its way to the cave’s exit, leaning against the cold walls for support.

 

The Troupe was already waiting for them when they reached the edge of Hallownest. Only one carriage remained, pulled by two steeds with a Grimmkin Nightmare driving them.

Nothing else was needed now.

Shade opened the door looking at the seats before them.

_"How do we sit down?"_

[ Ah, there is a little lever by the window, if you pull it the seats will turn into a mattress. ]

Both of them tried to reach for it at the same time, resulting in the creature grabbing the lever with all four arms.

This was going to take some getting used to.

They pulled the device, and with a loud click the seats in front of them shifted into a large bed.

The creature managed to crawl up the carriage steps and lie down, feeling grateful for how spacious and extravagant Grimm’s carriage was. They drew one of Grimm’s plush scarlet blankets over their shared body, snuggling up in his fragrant cushions.

Today was a rollercoaster of emotions for both of them, the creature’s eyelids drooped sleepily, to the two Gods, it almost felt like they were embracing each other under the covers.

The Nightmare King ordered his coachman to head to the nearest Kingdom before he and his new vessel drifted off to sleep.

  
Although this wasn’t exactly what either of them expected, they had to admit, this experience sharing a body might actually be a _good_ thing.


	3. Synchronized Chaos/ Something to Think About

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

_"Grimm, we don’t need to be graceful."_

[ But I _want_ to be graceful. ]

_"We know how to walk."_

[ Do we though? ]

 

The skyline of a large city was just barely visible in the morning mist. The Nightmare King had the carriage parked on the outskirts of Hallownest’s southern neighbor, a Kingdom primarily populated by beetles. He insisted that the two practice controlling their shared form before ravaging the civilization before them.

_"Look, leveling Kingdoms was all I did for the first few eons of my life, it was my purpose, and still is. I know what I’m talking about."_

[ Yes but you promised to take care of me. ]

_"Yes, and?"_

[ And I want to have _fun_ with this. ]

The Nightmare King felt Shade take in a deep, exasperated sigh.

_"Alright, what do you want to do?"_

[ Let’s see if we can run. ] Shade could feel Grimm’s excitement bubbling up in their shared chest.

_"Let’s lose the cape first, it will just get in the way."_

[ Fair enough. ]

Shade removed the tattered cape from their shoulders, leaving it in a pile on the ground. 

The two Gods took a deep breath and focused, mentally taking one step in front of the other in sync with each other, and their shared body responded in time. 

It was tricky to speed up too, it’s not like Grimm had control of the front legs and Shade had control of the back, rather both of them were responsible for exactly half the effort it took to move. 

The creature’s pointed feet kicked up little sprays of gravel as it trotted in circles,throwing its head back as if it were showing off.

[ Hey, let’s smash that boulder over there with our tail. ]

With one powerful whip of the tail, the creature obliterated a large rock that sat half buried in the ground.

[ I want to do that to one of those skyscrapers over there. ]

_“Well, what are we waiting for?”_

With a new sense of confidence, they bolted off towards the city in a full gallop.

Shade shared Grimm’s excitement, running towards a Kingdom past its prime with the wind whipping past them reminded the shadowy God of all the cycles of reincarnation they’d gone through. Only every time the Shade Lord came back to life they had all their memories, and they understood their purpose: to destroy bloated, decrepit civilizations so that new life could take root in the ruins. 

Too much time passed since Shade’s last cycle, and even more still since meeting Hollow. They tried so hard to help Shade restrain themselves, but was it really for the best?

[ Your friend meant well, Shade, but I think what you truly are is _magnificent._ There’s nothing wrong with doing what comes naturally to you. ]

The Nightmare King’s voice sounded so sweet and alluring- if the two were separate Shade might think he was trying to manipulate them, but they couldn’t hide anything from each other, and Shade knew he was being sincere. 

Suddenly- the creature’s feet sunk deep into the ground with each step, slowing their pace significantly, an acrid stench filled the air, seeping out from the unnaturally colored muck beneath them.

Pollution, of course. 

The Shade Lord snarled, making the creature bear its long curled fangs, they so detested how mortals abused the very land that sustained them. 

In a matter of seconds, the two Gods allowed their shared body to swell back its true, terrifying size. The sound of screams and panic from the bugs below filled the air.

Their shared body didn’t usually speak in response to Shade and Grimm’s emotions but, as they stepped forward, crushing buildings and watching the stream of bugs fleeing from them the creature couldn’t help but laugh, a cruel twisted sound that struck fear into the hearts of every bug who heard it. 

The paved roads split and distorted under the weight of the monster’s feet, and with one powerful swoop of their tail they leveled three skyscrapers, sending a glittering spray of shards into the air. 

A hot wave of pleasure emanated from Shade’s chest, but they knew it didn't just come from their enjoyment of destroying this city…

 _“What are you doing?”_  Asked Shade, breathing hard.

 _[ Rewarding you. ]_ Cooed the Nightmare King as he used his thoughts to embrace his partner.

 _“ Ha ha-”_ The Shade Lord laughed and so did their shared body.

_“Let me show you how magnificent I can be.”_

To the Nightmare King, it felt like Shade had their mouth pressed to his neck, murmuring the sweet words against his shell with heavy breaths. Shade’s thoughts and emotions mingled with his, their desire for destruction, to indulge themselves in their true nature, and something else, something _new._

The Shade Lord raised all four of the creatures hands, curling their claws with palms facing downward, the raw power coursing through their veins was far too much for Grimm, and Shade shielded him from the sensation, allowing him to just sit back and watch.

The ground below them quaked violently as the void beneath the earth’s crust sprung to life at the call of its master. In a matter of seconds the entire city was overtaken. 

Colossal, undulating void tendrils split the ground open, twisting their way around skyscrapers and squeezing them into a burst of rubble and twisted metal.

The scene before Grimm wasn't pure chaos, it was carefully orchestrated, beautiful even, like some kind of, performance?

[ You’re...trying to impress me? ]

The city below flooded with void in response, eating up the buildings and absorbing the Souls of the panicked citizens. Grimm’s admiration sent a wave of burning pleasure through Shade’s veins, emanating from their core to their fingertips.

Embracing their true nature was one thing, but Shade never realized how _good_ it would feel to do this for someone else.

 

Void permeated every corner of the Kingdom, ripping everything in its path to pieces. 

When it was all over, black tendrils snatched up the scarlet flames of this land’s destruction, taking much needed sustenance to the Nightmare King. 

The Nightmare King wasn’t easily flustered, but Shade’s flattery affected him in a way nothing else ever had.

No one had ever taken care of him like _this_. 

The experience of destroying a land together was intense and far more intimate than either of them expected, they couldn’t control where their thoughts went afterwards. 

While they rested their aching body in Grimm’s carriage, the two Gods found each other in the Nightmare Realm once more. 

They stood facing each other, both thinking the same thing, but the Shade Lord, always the gentlebug, stood with their head bowed and their arms folded behind their back, waiting patiently to see if their partner would act on his emotions. 

The Nightmare King was already breathless, looking at the tall, dark God standing before him. He only had a taste of their power, that boundless strength of the Void’s shared mind, and in that moment he knew that the Shade Lord could expel him from their body if they wished it.

They could destroy him, so easily, and yet in their shared body it felt like he was he was being cradled in their powerful arms.

It wasn’t just that Shade wanted to keep their word, they _enjoyed_ his presence.

It came naturally.

“You are too good to me.” Breathed Grimm, his chest glowing from absorbing the flames of this fallen Kingdom.

He stepped forward quickly, closing the distance between himself and Shade to embrace them. He wrapped his thin arms around their waist and pressed his mouth against their cold, smooth neck.

_“Now it’s my turn to be good to you.”_

Shade simply responded by wrapping their four arms around him, relishing in the heat coming off of his scarlet body.

“I was hoping you’d say that.” They chuckled.

The Nightmare King wasted no time, he stood up on the tips of his clawed feet and captured his partner’s mouth in a passionate kiss, slipping his tongue inside as soon as their fangs touched. He stepped forward, pushing Shade backwards until they bumped up against the edge of the bed, and with one firm shove the Nightmare King pushed his partner into the soft, dreamlike sheets, all without breaking their kiss. 

The Shade Lord’s cold touch could only be described as addictive, their saliva was so sticky and staticy and _sweet._

The Nightmare King couldn’t get enough of it. 

A little twinge of guilt stung the Shade Lord’s chest as they pulled Grimm’s cape from his shoulders. It felt so natural, to explore his warm body with their hands and mouth, his scent made their mind spin with pleasure. The short time they had spent together was so intimate, sharing a mind and body intensified every emotion, and the Shade Lord hated to admit they were already so painfully fond of him, this man who-by all objective means didn’t deserve redemption, or kindness, or love. His tortured past didn’t excuse his actions- all the people he hurt and enslaved, like his previous vessel.

But he felt so _good-_

The Nightmare King heard what Shade thought of him, and they were right of course, but after the long and lonely life Shade lived, didn’t they at least deserve this indulgence?

 

The two Gods lost themselves in each other, for a moment their minds and bodies truly felt as one. Fused by love and lust, and a deep, profound understanding of one another.

 

They wouldn’t have it any other way. 

 

\-----------

 

As Grimm tended to Shade’s now ownerless garden, he liked to imagine that a little piece of his summoner lived on in them. All Void shared one mind after all, so, it wasn’t exactly an unrealistic thought. 

The freed Vessel didn’t just care for Shade’s garden, he started to expand it. Over the past few months Grimm and Hollow spent a lot of time just walking and sightseeing around Hallownest, and during their excursions Grimm looked for new plants to bring home.

At the moment he teased the roots of several fragrant basil plants before packing them into the ground near the other herbs. He was excited to finally plant these outside after caring for them as seedlings in the house. 

Hollow liked to help with the garden too, but they were oft occupied by the various mercenary and monster hunting jobs that the Queen kept pushing onto them. Speaking of which, Hollow ought to be getting home soon...

Grimm wiped sweat and dirt from his brow with the back of his arm, satisfied with his work, he dusted himself off and went inside, taking care to clean his feet on the doormat.

After a quick shower he changed into his house clothes, a plain shirt and pants and a dark green apron. He checked the kitchen to see what he might want to make for dinner, they still had plenty of fresh meats and spices. Hollow ate anything Grimm cooked, and not just because they had simple tastes, Grimm really knew his way around the kitchen. 

There was a simple beauty in cooking for someone that you love, as Grimm did almost every day now. He despised washing dishes though, so he and Hollow had an agreement that Grimm cooked and they cleaned, so far it worked quite well for them. 

He happily hummed to himself as he grabbed his cutting board and a large pot out of the cabinets. They had steaks last night, so for today Grimm settled on making a nice hearty stew.

He took a large knife from his knife block and sliced up a generous portion of meat into large chunks, he rubbed a thick coating of his home-made seasoning into the meat before browning it in the pot. He wondered idly if he should be watching what he ate as he added butter and cream, technically he wasn’t a God anymore.

_Am I gonna get old and fat? I should probably start seeing a doctor…_

Grimm skillfully chopped up some celery, carrots, and potatoes and dumped them into the fragrant boiling liquid. After a minute or so he took a spoonful to taste, blowing on it carefully as to not burn himself.

_Needs salt._

He grabbed a generous pinch of salt from his little porcelain salt jar and artistically sprinkled it into the stew, along with a bit of thyme.

Satisfied, the freed Vessel put a lid atop his pot and brought it to a low simmer. The warm smell of the home cooked meal filled the room, relaxing him completely.

Grimm’s gaze fell to a framed photo hanging near the kitchen window, he and Hollow stood facing the camera, both wearing matching suits and holding matching bouquets of flowers. 

A warm smile touched Grimm’s fanged lips, their wedding was everything he wanted it to be, Hollow certainly made sure of that. They had the small yet extravagant ceremony only a few short weeks after Grimm’s return, why wait after all? Both bugs knew without a shadow of a doubt that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. 

As he stood there, enjoying the domestic bliss of his simple little life, he couldn’t help but feel guilty. 

_I wonder what kind of suffering the Nightmare King is inflicting upon Shade right now…_

The memories of his time as the Nightmare King’s vessel still burned fresh in Grimm’s mind. It wasn’t just the fact he was a prisoner, but having someone else occupy your body and mind meant you never really had a moment alone. Grimm spent so many lifetimes living in fear, suppressing his thoughts and feelings as to not anger his Master. He hoped beyond all hopes that Shade had it easier, that they could find a way out somehow.

_Shade is the most powerful God that there is, surely they will be fine._

Grimm wanted to believe that, he had to, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.

 

The sound of the front door opening interrupted his thoughts, Hollow stepped in, hunched over with their long cloak soaked in filth.

“Oh dear-” chimed Grimm. “Looks like someone had a long day.” 

He quickly made his way to Hollow for an embrace, but they kept him at a distance with their prosthetic arm.

(Sewer Monster.) They signed with one hand.

“Ah, okay, go bathe now.” He got out of their way as they headed to the bathroom. 

Grimm set the table while his spouse got cleaned up, then checked on the stew. He lifted the lid, releasing a cloud of fragrant steam, then tested it one last time.

_Perfect, of course._

He grabbed a ladle and started to stir the thick broth in slow circles- and a cold strong arm wrapped around his waist from behind. 

Grimm’s cheeks flushed a deep pink, he looked up to see his spouse standing behind him with their cool body pressed up against him. Hollow squeezed the smaller bug tight and pressed their snout against his face to nuzzle him. 

“All clean?” 

Hollow simply nodded, then moved their fingers to Grimm’s shoulder and snapped the strap of his apron.

 _(Cute.)_ Their fingers flicked playfully.

Grimm snorted in response and placed a delicate kiss to his spouse’s mask.

“Stop being fresh and grab your bowl.” 

 

Honestly, Hollow ate as if Grimm never fed them. And Void creatures didn’t even _need_ to eat but, they seemed to derive both pleasure and energy from it. Grimm watched his spouse’s void tendrils gobble up their fourth helping, he never grew tired of watching them enjoy his cooking. Grimm picked at his stew slowly, trying to enjoy the meal in spite of worrying about Shade. 

Hollow sensed their husband’s discomfort and reached across the table to squeeze his hand.

“Yes?” 

(You ok?) Hollow tilted their head to one side inquisitively.

“Ah well…” Grimm’s voice trailed off, eyes clouded with worry. “I just can’t stop thinking about Shade, you know?”

(I know. I had an idea, actually.) Hollow drained their bowl and took their dishes the kitchen, then went to the living room and rummaged through their bag, eventually producing a rolled up piece of paper. They spread it out on the table, revealing the deed to one of the buildings in Dirtmouth’s main square.

“You want to open a store?” 

(Flower shop.) They signed excitedly at him. (Shade always wanted one.)

“Ah, so you want to open it in their honor? Maybe name it after them?” 

Hollow nodded. 

“I think that’s a wonderful idea.” He took their hand from across the table. 

 

The married couple stayed up all night, making plans for how they wanted to arrange the store and what they planned to sell first.

It wasn’t much, and it wouldn’t bring Shade back to them, but it was the best they could think to do.

  
  
  



	4. New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ᕕ( ᐕ )ᕗ

The chime of a bell announced the entrance of yet another customer, a nervous, bespectacled bug looking for an apology bouquet for his wife. 

They ended up calling it “Voidheart Flower Shop” with a cartoonish little painting of the Shade Lord tending to their garden on the sign outside. 

Grimm explained to the customer that bouquets were made-to-order, no point in picking perfectly healthy flowers unless they knew somebody wanted to buy them. 

The customer ended up ordering the most expensive bouquet money could buy, Grimm and Hollow shot each other a curious glance as he paid, both wondering what exactly he did to mess up this badly. 

Both Hollow and Grimm wore matching uniforms, a dark green apron over a light green shirt. Over the past few weeks their little shop became quite well known, it was, after all, the first of its kind in the recovering Kingdom of Hallownest. Many considered it to be a symbol of Hallownest's regrowth, but to Hollow and Grimm it was just another piece of their blissful life together.

Cleaning up the building, designing the shop, and tending to the flowers served as a much needed creative outlet for the two bugs. Being responsible for a small business did wonders for their mental health, and goodness knows, they needed it.

 

Grimm couldn’t help but glance up at Hollow as he watered the potted plants.

“Hehe.”

(What?) Hollow signed in response.

“You look so handsome…” Something could be said about Grimm liking a bug in uniform.

Hollow’s pale cheeks flushed lavender in response, as if this exact exchange hadn’t already happened dozens of times. As always they struck an alluring pose for Grimm, making him giggle and flush deeper.

(You like my outfit huh?)

“Yes- and I can’t wait to take it off you when we get home.” He winked his only eye at them.

_“Ahem.”_

A mother with her hands over her son’s antennae glared at Grimm from across the store.

“Ah, oh dear-” Stammered Grimm. “My apologies ma’am, I did not see you there.”

Hollow silently laughed at the spectacle before offering her a complimentary bouquet for the trouble. 

 

Grimm and Hollow settled into quite the routine. They had the shop open later to accommodate the fact that they liked to sleep in and cuddle in the morning. An hour before opening they swept the store entrance and checked inventory, then they stayed open until sundown. 

One might think that settling down into domestic bliss would get boring, but, after the long and traumatic lives both Grimm and Hollow lived they really couldn’t get enough of these lazy mundane days together. 

Not to say that nothing exciting ever happened, after all, Hollow still worked on the occasional monster hunting job, and after a bit of nudging they finally agreed to let Grimm come with them. 

 

There was no monster hunting on this specific day though, Grimm and Hollow came home together after a fairly busy day minding the shop, both feeling quite grateful to have leftovers waiting in the fridge for them. 

The married couple walked up the path to their home to see someone waiting there for them-

A little pillbug wearing a fancy hat and a shirt with poofy sleeves stood on their doorstep, a thick stack of papers in his hands. He waved at the couple and came over to meet them.

“Greetings citizens! I am delivering an emergency message from the Queen to all the residents of this town!” Stated the short bug as he handed a two fliers to Hollow and Grimm.

“An emergency?” Inquired Grimm, his eyes scanning the paper.

“Ah yes, well, we lost contact with one of our neighboring Kingdoms a few months ago and when the Queen’s scouts went to investigate, they found the Kingdom in ruins! Not a single soul survived!” Stammered the little bug. 

“She fears that Hallownest is in danger, and has devised an evacuation protocol in case of an emergency of apocalyptic proportions! So please familiarize yourself with her orders, good day!”

The short bug ran off past them towards the more populated part of Dirtmouth. Grimm and Hollow just looked at each other, both thinking the same thing.

There was only one being capable of that kind of destruction.

But Shade would never do that of their own free will, right?

 

Hollow took a seat on the couch with the flier pinched in their prosthetic device. They looked up to Grimm, and raised a hand to sign.

(Shade.)

“I know-” He sat down next to his spouse and wrapped an arm around them, giving their shoulder a little squeeze. “The Nightmare King must have forced them to do his bidding, oh Ambrosia…” 

Grimm’s voice cracked, he buried his head into Hollow’s shoulder, fighting back tears.

“This is entirely my fault.”

 _“No.”_ Hollow traced the word firmly into Grimm’s shell. _“You are not responsible for his actions.”_

“Ha-” laughed Grimm weakly “I can’t help but feel that I am…”

Cartoonish tears welled up in the corner of his only eye, he brought his hands to his mouth, squeezing his fingers together.

_“Shade must be so miserable.”_

 

\-----

 

Terrified screams filled the ashen air as ants of all shapes and sizes frantically scrambled to find shelter. 

The ants of the north were a cruel and war like people, but they always assumed their demise would come from one of their many enemies, not from the random attack of an colossal monster. 

The beast stood about 40 stories tall, its shell as black as night except for a deep red chest plate. Molten lava oozed from its mouth and the ground quaked with each step it took forward. 

The Queen watched from her palace, swirling a glass of fine wine in her hand. She sat comfortably in her throne room as the civilization she so lovingly built from the ground down was torn to pieces. Her beady eyes were sunken into her head, rimmed by dark circles and wrinkles that showed her age. One of her knights burst into the room, frantically asking for orders, she just waved him away, nothing could be done, may as well enjoy the last few minutes of her life, right?

Although, there was one thing nagging at her thoughts as the room around her flooded with molten rock and lashing void tendrils. She narrowed her eyes as she watched the beast lay waste to her city.

 

_What could that monster possibly be thinking?_

 

\-----

 

[Shade, look, that fellow over there died on the toilet.] Chuckled the Nightmare King.

The beast turned its attention to a half destroyed building to see there was indeed, an ant who died in a most comical position while doing his business. 

Both Gods had a hearty laugh at the spectacle, they turned “Victim Watching” into a sort of sick sadistic hobby. The Lords of Shadow and Fire could easily destroy a civilization in a matter of minutes but, where’s the fun in that?

Their shared body let out a booming roar and another plume of lava erupted from its mouth, melting the large suspension bridge in front of them. Shade quite enjoyed the firepower Grimm provided, they never got to see a civilization _burn_ before.

[ Want to have a little more fun with me? ] Cooed the Nightmare king. [ You have been so _good._ ]

Shade could practically feel him grinding against their backside, his hands feeling them up from behind. 

_“Grimm, I love you but now isn’t the time for one of your mind-boners.”_

The Nightmare King erupted into bouts of wheezing, high-pitched laughter.

[ My my I never thought I’d hear such vulgar words come from the highest God in the land. ] He teased.

 _“Oh excuse me-”_ Shade began as they made the creature topple an apartment complex with its tail. _“Now is not the time for one of your ~Mental Erections~”_

Both Gods absolutely lost it, so much so that their shared body erupted into side-splitting laughter, it held itself as if it were getting a cramp. 

_“Alright, enough of our antics, we need to focus. Let’s finish this pathetic little civilization.”_

[ Yes darling, _let’s._ ] 

The two Gods cleared their heads and took a deep breath, making the creature shake its head and blink back into focus, its three burning eyes started to glow more and more with each passing second.

In a matter of minutes the entire Ant Hill flooded with boiling lava and lashing void tendrils, like so many other civilizations before it. At this point the two Gods lost count of how many lands fell to their appetite for violence.

They settled into a routine, destroy a civilization, collect the flames, make love to each other in the Nightmare Realm then rest and move on to the next Kingdom. The Shade Lord consumed the souls of the slaughtered citizens and their partner consumed the flames of each fallen land, as a result both Gods grew immensely in both magical and physical strength. One could easily define it as the most bizarre example of symbiosis in existence. 

After collecting Grimm’s flames, the two gods chose to rest on the outskirts of the newly ravaged civilization, a lovely grassy hill overlooking the mangled corpse of the Ant Queen’s capital city. Their shared body curled up in a bed of grass and delicate blossoms and the two Gods met each other in the Nightmare Realm like always. 

 

“My darling-” Shade began as they quickly stepped forward to embrace the Scarlet God.

The Void Entity wrapped all four of their arms around their glowing lover, taking a moment to caress his curved horns and marvel at how damn _beautiful_ he was.

“Every day you remind me of how _good_ it feels to be _bad._ ” Shade cooed, a deep purr rumbling in their chest.

The Nightmare King shot a wicked grin up at his lover, his temperature spiked when he felt Shade’s lower hands squeeze his ass. 

“Getting right to it are we?” Breathed the shorter God as he tried to push his lover towards the bed, but Shade didn’t move an inch.

“Wait a second.”

 _“What is it?”_ Grimm hissed, leaning forward to give Shade’s neck an impatient nip. 

“You missed one.” Shade produced a tiny scarlet flame, holding it in their first three fingers.

“Ha!” The Nightmare King threw his head back and laughed. “I’ve never seen a flame so tiny, it’s no wonder I almost left it behind. Thank you love.” 

The Shade Lord playfully brought the flame to their lover’s mouth, Grimm flashed another crooked grin at them, his hooded eyes glistening with lust. He took the little flame into his mouth along with Shade’s first two fingers, wrapping his tongue around to give them an exaggerated suck.

 _“Marry me.”_ The Shade Lord was already breathless.

The Scarlet God laughed again, pulling his lover into a passionate kiss.

 _“I was under the impression that we are married already.”_ He whispered against their cold fangs.

Shade’s purring only intensified, they kissed him back, hard, forcing their tongue inside like they never tasted him before. Grimm let out hoarse laughter between kisses, his agile fingers started to pull Shade’s cape off of their shoulders. 

Shade boldly slid their thigh between Grimm’s legs, a delicious offering that the scarlet God was all too happy to take. He dropped his cape to the floor as he started to grind against them, the messy sound of their fanged mouths melding against each other only contributed to his arousal. 

Grimm placed his bony hands on Shade’s wide chest, giving them a firm push, they weren’t expecting it though and lost their balance- sending both Gods falling to the floor. 

The Nightmare King blinked his scarlet eyes in surprise, he found himself in a comfortable position on top of his lover, the Shade Lord lay beneath him, chest heaving and cheeks stained purple. 

Who needs a bed anyway?

Both of them laughed weakly before kissing again, Shade playfully rolled them both over and wrapped the smaller God’s legs around their waist, touching him everywhere with all four of their hands. 

Everything about this came so naturally, it always did. But now that they settled into their routine everything felt so relaxed. Their love making was almost desperate and animalistic at first, but now they took their time, taking little moments to tease each other or admire each other or to _breathe_ and drink in the bliss of the moment. 

Grimm was right in what he said before, it really did feel like they were already married- 

 

But there were a lot of things they couldn’t do that a normal married couple could, like the simple act of holding hands and going for a walk together, or waiting eagerly for the other to come home after a long day at work-

Or have a child together.

 

Grimm tried to just enjoy the moment but he couldn’t restrain those thoughts,and he knew Shade heard them as they always did.

Ah yes- they didn’t really have any privacy either, something any singular being would take for granted.

Neither of them breathed a word of it until they finished. 

 

The Shade Lord carried Grimm to bed and pulled the covers over both of them, surprisingly, Grimm broke away from Shade and just let his head sink into his pillow, staring at the blurry, dreamlike ceiling. 

The Shade Lord turned their head to look at him, and for the first time he truly, genuinely, looked _tired._

The weight of all the years that The Nightmare King lived left dark circles under his eyes and little wrinkles along the corners of his mouth, Shade had those too but, it wasn’t exactly easy to see given the dark color of their shell. 

The Nightmare King allowed his eyes to slide closed and he slowly slid his hand over to intertwine his fingers with Shade’s claws. 

“Can we talk about it?” Grimm’s ragged voice was barely a whisper.

“Of course.” 

The Scarlet God took a deep breath and squeezed Shade’s hand. 

“It’s not that I don’t love being with you, I do, you know this-”

“Yes.”

“But I’ve never actually been able to live independently. When my sister and I split, it was...unequal. She took too much power for herself, leaving me as nothing more than a parasite trapped in this endless dance. And after she died I thought, if I could take control of her realm maybe I could take back enough power to live on my own.” 

He paused to rub little circles into the back of Shade’s hand, he sensed doubt in their thoughts but they held back a little, to let him finish talking.

“I wasn’t strong enough though, I tried time and again to take the Dream Realm for myself and I failed. But now I have you, and I thought that maybe-”

“Ah no, I see the problem now.” Shade finally cut him off. “That wouldn’t work anyway. Haha wow- I feel quite foolish for not seeing it before.” Shade sat up in bed and sat cross legged, they tugged at Grimm’s hand to try and get him to sit up too.

“Begging your pardon?” Grimm chuckled as he picked himself up on his arms.

“Your sister’s power doesn’t come from her realm, it came from her body.”

“And now she’s gone-” Grimm sighed, feeling hopeless.

“Well yes but-” They scooted closer to Grimm so that their shoulders touched. “I consumed her power when I destroyed her, so-”

_“Wait, what???”_

The Nightmare King blinked, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape.

 _“You’ve had it all along…”_ Breathed Grimm.

“I told you I felt stupid for not thinking of it before.” Shade chuckled, then immediately sunk their claws into their chest, they grunted in pain as spurts of void erupted from the wound.

 _“Darling be careful!!!”_ Grimm cried out, clenching his chest as he felt their pain.

“It’s fine-” They panted, as they literally forced their chest cavity open.

After a few seconds the writhing void in Shade's body produced an unbelievably bright light, which the Shade lord immediately snatched up with one of their smaller hands. They released their chest and it snapped back into place with a loud crunch, the wound oozed fresh void and their entire body shuddered in pain. 

The light that rested in Shade’s palm was nothing short of blinding, it beat quickly and erratically like a heart. 

The Shade Lord shakily raised their hand, offering it to the Nightmare King.

 _“You’re just giving it to me?”_ His hoarse voice caught in his throat and little pink tears started to well up in his eyes.

“I’d give you my life, if you asked for it.” Shade breathed, coughing up spurts of their own blood. 

Grimm pushed their hand away, ignoring the offering to throw his arms around them. 

The Scarlet God squeezed his eyes shut and smooshed his face into his lover’s shoulder. He embraced them with all the strength his thin arms could muster, Shade’s cold blood soaked his clothes, reminding him of how laughably unworthy he was of their love. 

“I don’t deserve this.” Grimm’s voice cracked, choking back more tears. “I don’t deserve _you.”_

The Shade Lord laughed weakly, wincing at the pain each breath brought with it.

“Well, to be fair Grimm, neither of us really deserves anything, so-” They pushed him away a little, so that they could look at each other, and offered the Radiance’s light to him again. 

“May as well just make the most of it, right?” 

The Nightmare King couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of this situation, after years and years of struggling and clinging to life the solution to all of his problems was all but offered to him on a silver platter, and from none other than the highest God in the Pantheon.

He accepted it, of course, he’d be a fool not to-

And the second his sister’s light touched his fingertips everything went blank.

 

 ---------------------

 

After his first step as a free man, the Nightmare King immediately fell to his knees.

It felt so _heavy_ to be real.

Crisp morning air filled his lungs, only amplifying the exciting and foreign sensation of breathing on his own. Grimm’s scarlet gaze focused on the little blades of grass between his fingers, he’d never _actually_ touched grass before, and now that he thought about it, he’d never actually touched _anything_ before. 

The Nightmare King’s eyes flicked up to see Shade lying in a bed of grass and blossoms. The scarlet God clumsily crawled over to them and placed a hand on their shoulder.

“Hey, wake up.” He shook them anxiously, actually touching their cold shell felt so different from in the dream realm. 

The Shade Lord huffed, as if annoyed.

“Five more minutes.” They breathed.

“Shade _please.”_ Hissed the Nightmare King.

“Oh relax- I’m just teasing you.” 

Shade picked themselves up on their arms, rubbing their eight tired eyes. 

 _“Now is hardly the time.”_ Grimm’s voice cracked, fresh emotion made his chest sore.

Shade finally looked up at him, blinking in surprise at the sight of the fresh pink tears running down their lover’s cheeks. They immediately scooped him into an embrace, cradling the smaller God against their cold chest.

“Sorry.” They placed a gentle kiss to his forehead as an apology.

“It’s okay.”

Every touch, every breath, felt entirely new and _so_ much better than before. How it felt to truly look at each other, to hold each other, well, it could only be described as indescribable. 

And the two Gods stayed together after that-of course they did, but both of them quickly realized something rather unexpected- they didn’t actually need to be together.

They _wanted_ to be together.

The distinction between need and want resonated especially strongly with the Nightmare King, who spent his entire life from one obligatory relationship to the next. He understood now that to want is so much stronger than to need, because want signifies _choice._

And he wouldn’t choose to be anywhere else but here, with the terrifying, awe inspiring God he fell in love with. 


	5. A Letter in the Mail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Shade Lord sends a letter to their old friend

The Shade Lord sat at their writing desk, surrounded by crumpled piles of paper with their head resting in one hand. They scratched their forehead pensively as they stared at yet another blank piece of paper. 

They wanted to tell Hollow they were okay for such a long time now. But the truth of what happened wasn’t so easy to write down on paper, Shade feared that if Hollow knew the truth, well, then they would surely hate them.

The Shade Lord just sat there, tapping a pen against the wooden desk as they tried to decide how much to include and how much to omit. 

Should they tell Hollow how they ended up getting along with the Nightmare King and just leave it at that? Or about the millions of people the two Gods gleefully murdered for their own selfish purposes? Or how Shade practically fell head over heels for the scarlet God, then slept with him, then married him, then had a child with him- the infamous Nightmare King who now embraced Shade from behind, leaning over their shoulder because he wanted to help them write this letter?

Would they tell Hollow how they didn’t regret any of it, not one thing. And if they had the chance to do it all over again they absolutely would? 

Shade took in a deep breath and glanced over at the small child who now slept in their bed because she had a nightmare. Hazel looked just like her father, except she had four eyes and just as many arms, it would suffice to say that raising a child with both void and fire powers was nothing short of chaotic but, neither God would have it any other way.

“This is ridiculous.” Muttered Shade flatly, tapping their pen against the paper without taking their eyes off of their child.

“What do you mean?” Asked the Nightmare King playfully, as if he didn’t already know the answer. 

“My life is completely and utterly ridiculous and Hollow is never going to believe any of it anyway.”

“Then perhaps, keep it short and vague?” Suggested their husband.

The Shade Lord proceeded to write:

 

“  Dear Hollow,

I am fine.

Hugs and kisses,

~The Shade Lord  “

 

Shade looked over their shoulder at Grimm, as if asking for approval.

“Maybe not _that_ short darling.” Grimm couldn’t help but laugh.

“You know what- fuck it.” Grumbled Shade as they crumpled up the letter and tossed it aside, missing the waste basket by a mile. The Void entity proceeded to furiously write on a fresh piece of paper, fold it, and seal it in an envelope in less than a minute. 

“Summon one of your servants for me will you?”  Shade asked, their words confident.

“Are you sure that’s what you want to say darling?” The Nightmare King asked as he summoned one of his Grimmkin.

Shade didn’t answer, they just handed their letter to the Grimmkin and instructed it to take it to the Hollow Knight as soon as possible. 

The little demon nodded and poofed away in a cloud of red smoke.

 

\------

 

Hollow never got much mail, and they certainly weren’t expecting a letter. 

A little red demon wearing a mask handed them a glossy black envelope sealed with red wax, Hollow turned it over in their hand, the familiar scent that clung to the paper made their heart stop. 

The tall Knight rushed inside and eagerly tore the letter open, plopping down on the couch as their dark eyes hungrily devoured their friend’s words.

 

“  Dear Hollow,

I am sorry it took so long for me to write to you. I would like to tell you that I defeated the Nightmare King and expelled him from my body, and that I was able to deny my true nature even without you looking after me. But- that would be a lie, and you know I could never lie to you.

To be fair, the Nightmare King is a terrible influence on me, but I am not blameless. I destroyed countless civilizations with him of my own volition, and I would do it again- it is my purpose after all, and at this point I see no reason to deny it. 

I am sure you are cross with me, and that is fine. I am happier, healthier, and more content now than ever before. Sooner or later I will destroy other civilizations that have lived past their prime- don’t worry about Hallownest though, I would never think of touching it. 

I don’t expect you to respond to this letter, I only wrote to you because I felt it was unfair not to tell you the truth after everything you did for me.

 

Sincerely,

 

~the Lord of Shades

 

P.S- I married the Nightmare King, and we have a child, and it’s ridiculous but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Hollow sat up, and held the letter away for a moment, then brought it closer and squinted to make sure they read it correctly. 

Hollow took a deep breath as they re-read the letter, thinking hard on their friend’s words.

 

Shade was right about one thing, this was completely and utterly _ridiculous._

 


	6. Bonus Chapter: Table for Two Party of One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just an extra thing that I wanted to include in the original story, but I couldn't figure out a good place for it. I just wanted more cute/ silly stuff of the Grimm/Shade fusion.

The “Fancy Damselfly” was famous for its mixed drinks, reasonable prices, and unusually long hours. The popular bar stayed open until 4am. Needless to stay, the staff had seen their fair share of oddities-

But what happened tonight really took the cake.

 

The night shift started off busy, like usual. A steady stream of young bugs looking to get tipsy after work filled the restaurant's tables. They tipped like shit too, and none of the servers were particularly happy to tend to them.

Aside from a few sloppy drunks, everything was pretty normal.

But around midnight, a customer walked in that none of the staff would ever forget. 

 

It had to duck its head to get through the door, the other customers were far too drunk to pay it any mind. 

The little pill bug host looked to his manager, all the color drained from his face. The manager just gestured for him to seat the customer. The pill bug gulped and walked over to greet the creature, its three scarlet eyes burned like hot coals, he felt like it could see right through his skull.

“Good evening um-” The host looked up and down the creature’s centaur-like body “Sir?”

It only responded by blinking its three eyes out of sync with each other.

“Can I- Can I offer you a seat at the bar? We could move one of the stools.” Stammered the host, his legs quaking under him.

The creature just slowly shook its large horned head and pointed at a small table for two near the window.

“Oh, you want to sit there? Sure! No problem!” Shouted the host. 

He led the customer to its seat, clutching a single menu close to his chest. He set the menu down and removed one of the chairs so the beast had room to sit. It slowly lowered itself to the floor and brought the menu to its face.

“Ok, well, just close your menu when you’re ready to order!!!” 

He all but ran back to his post, cursing under his breath about how he didn’t get paid enough for this.

 

\-------

 

In their shared Nightmare Realm, Grimm and the Shade Lord made this little white board of ideas that they wanted to try, currently “Try to get our shared body drunk.” was circled in bright red marker. 

The two Gods never tried to eat anything together either, they didn’t need to eat real food but, both were ravenously curious to find out what it would be like.

And so they found themselves in this bar, in a Kingdom they planned to destroy very soon. As they looked over the menu they wondered idly if eating at a nice restaurant before destroying a Kingdom would become a regular thing for them. 

Trying to read like this was...difficult to say the least. Normally the Gods didn’t have trouble seeing but when both Gods tried to read the same thing they sort of got double vision. 

“Oh look, I found a drink for you.” Stated the Shade Lord with a hint of mischief in their voice.

“What is it called?” Asked the Nightmare King.

_ “Flaming Asshole.”  _

Both Gods burst out laughing, making their shared body chuckle in a low, robotic tone. 

“Oh we  _ have _ to order that.” Chimed Grimm “And maybe something sweet…” He took a moment to glance at the dessert menu.

“We should get drinks first, then food. You get drunk faster that way, and I have a feeling it’s going to take a lot of alcohol for us to feel anything.”

“Ah I suppose you are right.” 

The Gods decided on what they wanted to order and closed the menu. A short butterfly in a button down shirt and tie nervously took their order. They ordered so much alcohol the server asked for payment up front, not a problem of course. The Shade Lord had used their void tendrils to rob a bank earlier and needless to say, they were all set. 

The server brought over their order, four “Flaming Assholes”, two bottles of blue raspberry vodka, some extremely fruity mixed drink Grimm ordered, and a bunch of other drinks they didn’t even realize they’d ordered, after all their vision was compromised and they ended up just pointing at the menu hoping they were asking for the right thing. 

The server took out a lighter and ignited the liquid in the shot glasses. She told them to “have fun.” and quickly made her way across the restaurant to join her co-workers. Most of the staff had abandoned their posts to see what the hell was going to happen when that thing started drinking.

“Careful now.” Said both Gods as they tried to make their body throw back the first shot. 

The creature’s mouth watered at the sight of the flaming drink, they found it suddenly very hard to move their hands with grace. 

“Just relax, it’s easy, grab the shot. Just imagine yourself reaching out with me.” Cooed Grimm.

The creature smacked one of its hands on the table, missing its target by a mile.

“The shot.”

Their hand slid into the drinks, making the little glasses clink together.

“The  _ shot. _ ”

Their hand jerked to the side, knocking one of the bottles to the floor, thankfully it didn’t break.

“Okay new plan-” Instructed Grimm. “If we can’t bring the drinks to our face lets bring our _ face _ to the  _ drinks.” _

“Good idea!” Agreed Shade enthusiastically- 

Underestimating their strength the creature immediately slammed its head into the table, snapping it in half sending all their drinks crashing to the floor.

The restaurant staff snickered from behind them and the Gods made a mental note to destroy this part of the city first tomorrow.

“Alright new plan-” Began Shade. “We take all the bottles that aren’t broken and drink them alone, by the carriage-”

“I would like dessert.” Interrupted the Nightmare King.

“Okay, we get food  _ then _ go back to the carriage.”

“Sounds good to me.”

 

\--------------------------------

 

The creature left the bar with their stuff in a paper bag, their broad shoulders slumped in embarrassment. They never thought pathetic little mortals could make them feel so deflated, but, being laughed at like that really hurt. The two Gods always felt self conscious about how clumsy they could be. 

 

Grimm’s carriage sat on the outskirts of the Kingdom, as usual.

The view of the shining city under the stars was a nice thing to drink to, making for a nice ending to a bad night.

The two Gods decided that they would make “dates” like this a regular thing but-

They both made a mental note to get takeout from now on. 


End file.
